Public housing tenants evicted 'without reasons'

Claims that Territory Housing is evicting tenants in central Australia under a previously unused section of the Residential Tenancies Act.

ABC TV

The Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service says people are being evicted from public housing without being given reasons.

Spokeswoman Ros Cook says there are cases of people who have lived in a house for almost 20 years being forced out.

She says Territory Housing is evicting tenants in central Australia under a previously unused section of the Residential Tenancies Act which gives landlords the power to evict someone without a current lease, and giving 42 days' notice.

But she says evicting people in this manner is not an appropriate way for a public housing provider to behave.

"In some cases there is not a lot we can do for them because, under the Act, Territory Housing absolutely has the power to give them this notice," she said.

"But we would say this is not a good way to administer public housing that is supposed to help really disadvantaged people."